Sunlight of the Spirit was founded on a simple belief: every woman deserves a real chance at recovery. This is a women’s sober living in Toronto — not just a place to stay, but a place to heal, rebuild, and begin again.
We are a registered Canadian charity based in Toronto. Currently, we are in our development phase, working toward opening a women-focused sober living house grounded in 12-step recovery and lived experience leadership.
OUR STORY
Sunlight of the Spirit began with a question we could not stop asking: why are there so few safe, supportive options for women in early recovery?
In Toronto, the transition out of treatment is one of the most vulnerable moments in a woman’s recovery. Specifically, the gap between leaving treatment and being truly ready to face the world is where too many women fall. For this reason, we founded Sunlight of the Spirit to help close it. Most importantly, we are building something warm, structured, and women-only, led by people who understand recovery from the inside out.
WHY WOMEN-FOCUSED
Recovery is not one-size-fits-all. For example, women in addiction often carry trauma, loss, shame, and family separation and these experiences require a specific kind of space to heal. A women-only environment offers something that mixed settings often cannot: the freedom to be completely honest. Moreover, it offers the freedom to be vulnerable without performance and to heal without distraction.
That safety is not a luxury. In fact, for many women, it is the difference between staying and leaving.
OUR APPROACH
12-Step Foundation. Our house is grounded in 12-step principles. Particularly, we believe in the power of the program, community accountability, and spiritual growth as the backbone of lasting recovery.
Whole-Person Programming. Sobriety is the foundation, not the finish line. As a result, our programming addresses the practical realities of rebuilding a life: financial literacy, nutrition, employment readiness, and community connection.
A Community, Not Just a House. Recovery happens in relationship. Therefore, we are building something beyond four walls: a community of women who show up for each other, during the hard days and the good ones.
OUR VISION
A Toronto where no woman navigates the gap between treatment and independent living alone. To that end, we are working to make women’s sober living in Toronto more accessible, more supported, and more sustainable.
OUR BOARD
Christie Gray — Founder
Christie Gray is our Founder and Executive Director. She has over 15 years Not for Profit Board Experience, and is currently a Board Director at Renascent and is a passionate advocate for women’s access to recovery support. She founded Sunlight of the Spirit out of personal conviction and professional experience, and is committed to building something that outlasts her involvement in it.
OUR STATUS
Sunlight of the Spirit is a registered charitable organization in Ontario. Currently, we are in our fundraising and development phase, working toward securing a property and opening our doors by end of 2027.